10 Things I Wish Customers Did Differently: A Guide to Better Collaboration in Software Development
By Brian Przybytek | Senior Software Engineer |
In the world of software development, success hinges on strong communication and clear expectations. While developers and engineering teams strive to deliver top-notch solutions, customers also play a crucial role in ensuring projects run smoothly. With a little more insight into how to work effectively with development teams, many of the common frustrations, miscommunications, and setbacks could be avoided.
This post outlines 10 actions that customers can take to foster a more productive and positive working relationship with their technical partners. From asking the right questions to setting realistic expectations, these are the things we wish every customer would do differently to ensure better outcomes.
1. Ask Questions Early and Often
No one expects customers to be experts in all things technical. That’s where your development team comes in. But asking questions early and often helps clarify assumptions and keeps everyone on the same page.
Whether it’s understanding why a particular technology is being used, or simply asking for clarification on jargon, don’t be afraid to raise your hand. Regular dialogue not only helps avoid miscommunication, but also ensures that both parties are aligned on the project’s scope and direction.
2. Share Your Big Picture and Long-Term Plans
Developers love to build solutions that scale, but they need to know what you’re aiming for. If you envision expanding your IoT system in a few years, or you’re hoping to integrate your software with other tools down the road, share that upfront.
By providing the full context of your business’s long-term goals, you’re enabling your development team to design with flexibility in mind. Without that bigger picture, you risk building a solution that solves today’s problems but struggles to meet tomorrow’s needs.
3. Set Realistic Expectations
We get it—everyone wants fast, cheap, and perfect software. But in reality, software development involves trade-offs between time, cost, and quality. Setting realistic expectations based on what’s technically feasible helps prevent frustration on both sides.
A good rule of thumb? Work with your development team to prioritize features and understand the limitations of your timeline or budget. Understanding that some goals are ambitious will help you avoid over-promising to your stakeholders and create a smoother path to success.
4. Address Concerns Immediately
If something doesn’t feel right, say something! Whether it’s a misalignment in deliverables, a technical issue, or a simple misunderstanding, don’t wait for a problem to grow. Addressing concerns immediately ensures that issues can be resolved quickly without derailing the project.
For instance, if you’re unsure about how a feature will impact the end users, let your development team know early. They can adjust course before it becomes a major rework, saving both time and money.
5. Be Open to Compromise
No project runs 100% as planned, and flexibility is key to overcoming obstacles. When technical challenges or constraints arise, being open to alternative solutions can help keep the project on track.
For example, you might want a feature that’s technically feasible but would drastically increase development time. Your development team might offer a simplified version that delivers 80% of the value in half the time. Being open to compromise ensures that you still get a high-quality product, even if it’s slightly different from the original plan.
6. Test the Product and Provide Feedback Early
One of the best ways to avoid problems late in a project is to test the product early. By getting hands-on with an early prototype or beta version, you can provide valuable feedback that helps developers catch issues before they become difficult (and expensive) to fix.
It’s much easier to address user experience problems or performance issues early in the development process, so don’t wait until the final stages to start testing and sharing feedback.
7. Communicate Any Changes That Affect Design
It happens—your business needs change, or new information comes to light that impacts your project. Maybe you’ve decided to integrate with a new third-party system, or perhaps your target audience has shifted slightly. Whatever the case, keeping your development team informed of these changes is critical.
If we don’t know about changes that could affect the design or timeline, we can’t adapt accordingly. Communicating these shifts in real time helps us adjust course without jeopardizing the entire project.
8. Make an Effort to Understand the Technical Details
We’re not asking you to become a developer, but a basic understanding of the technical aspects of your project goes a long way. When customers have a high-level grasp of how the technology works, conversations become more productive, and decision-making is faster.
Understanding why certain design choices are being made can also help you advocate better for your business’s needs and avoid unrealistic requests that could slow down the project.
9. Facilitate Communication with Third Parties
Many software projects involve multiple vendors, platforms, or third-party systems. If your project relies on external integrations, make sure you’re facilitating communication between your development team and any third parties involved.
For example, if your project integrates with an external IoT platform, ensuring that the platform’s team is available for collaboration can prevent delays. Strong communication with third parties helps avoid bottlenecks and ensures that all systems work together seamlessly.
10. Define Success Metrics with Us
How do you define success? Is it a faster load time? A smoother user experience? More data insights? Whatever it is, work with your development team to establish clear success metrics from the start.
By setting measurable goals, everyone knows what success looks like. This also helps ensure that your project delivers the business value you expect—and makes it easier to assess performance after deployment.
In Conclusion
Collaboration between customers and development teams is key to project success, and great communication coupled with realistic expectations will get you far. By taking these 10 steps, you’ll help your development team deliver a solution that meets your needs—and you’ll avoid many of the pitfalls that derail software projects.